CVE-2010-4475 in JDK
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) in Oracle Java SE and Java for Business 6 Update 23 and earlier, 5.0 Update 27 and earlier, and 1.4.2_29 and earlier allows remote untrusted Java Web Start applications and untrusted Java applets to affect confidentiality via unknown vectors related to Deployment.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/17/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4475 represents a critical security flaw within the Java Runtime Environment that affects multiple versions of Oracle Java SE and Java for Business. This issue specifically targets the deployment component of Java, which handles the execution of Java Web Start applications and applets. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified indicates that the exact technical details of the flaw were not fully disclosed in the initial advisory, making it particularly concerning for security professionals who must assess risks without complete information. The affected versions include Java 6 Update 23 and earlier, Java 5.0 Update 27 and earlier, and Java 1.4.2_29 and earlier, spanning a significant portion of the Java runtime ecosystem that was widely deployed across enterprise environments and consumer systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability lies within the deployment framework of Java, which is responsible for managing the execution and security boundaries of Java applications launched through Web Start or embedded within web pages. The flaw allows untrusted Java Web Start applications and applets to potentially compromise confidentiality, suggesting that the vulnerability enables unauthorized data access or information leakage. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of privilege escalation or information disclosure attacks, where malicious code running in a sandboxed environment could bypass security restrictions. The deployment component typically handles code signing, security policy enforcement, and execution context management, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to elevate privileges or extract sensitive information from systems.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on Java-based applications and web content. The ability of untrusted code to affect confidentiality means that attackers could potentially access sensitive data, user credentials, or system information that should remain protected. The impact extends beyond individual user systems to enterprise environments where Java applets and Web Start applications are commonly used for business applications, internal tools, and web-based services. The remote nature of the attack vector indicates that exploitation could occur without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments. Organizations that have not updated their Java installations to versions beyond the affected releases remain vulnerable to attacks that could lead to data breaches, system compromise, or further lateral movement within networks.
The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE categories related to security flaws in deployment and execution environments, specifically those involving information disclosure or confidentiality breaches. This issue demonstrates the critical importance of keeping Java runtime environments updated, as the affected versions represent widely deployed software that organizations often cannot immediately replace. Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability in the context of the ATT&CK framework, particularly within the execution and privilege escalation domains, where attackers might leverage such flaws to gain unauthorized access to system resources. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including disabling Java applets in web browsers, updating to patched versions, and implementing network-level controls to prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the necessity of maintaining comprehensive patch management processes and regular security assessments of Java-based systems to prevent similar issues from compromising organizational security postures.